The Great Gatsby, Othello, And Exit Through The Gift Shop

The description above illustrates an image of a small sized room, filled with expensive, over-sized materials that are too big for the small room they have. This portrayal informs us of how Tom is trying to bring the riches of East Egg into Manhattan to allow Myrtle to have feel as if she is a part of the wealthy society and parties. In contrast, Gatsby’s party was hosted at his own house, a mansion, filled with extravagant furniture, bars, gardens, orchestra, and workers. The guests all wore evening gowns charged with various colors and spirit. As opposed to Tom, Gatsby didn’t have to go to Manhattan to throw a party since he had nothing to hide. Instead, he wanted to make known of his lavish parties. He wanted people to talk about him as the mysterious wealthy man. He wished to be the main gossip of the town, hoping that one day it will grasp Daisy’s undivided attention and love.

that he has achieved has been part of the plan conceived by him to try

In Gatsby’s mission to attain wealth, power, and status he loses sight of his morals through his “dealings” with various shady people that are rumored to be lucrative and illegal. The extent of Gatsby’s criminal activities is confirmed by Tom Buchanan one hot summer night when Tom shares that Gatsby and “Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores…and sold grain alcohol over the counter,” (133) an illegal venture during prohibition. In addition to Gatsby’s business investments, his obsession with winning Daisy clouds his mind with thoughts of inspiring her to leave her husband and abandoned her child. Nick believes Gatsby would “want nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you,’” (109) and prove her marriage was a sham.

I’ve only known Gatsby for a few months, and so I’ll start with my first impression. It was summer, and many people came to enjoy his premises. He held huge parties at his mansion every Saturday.1 They were the most opulent and ostentatious parties, typical of the West Egg. All sorts of people came, from the city or just across the lake, looking to mingle and join the wealthy. They basked in Gatsby’s display of wealth, enjoying the alcohol, the music, and the atmosphere. They enjoyed so much of his parties, yet they never got to meet

In the novel the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the observations of the character named Nick Carraway reflects upon the life of Jay Gatsby and his surroundings. The 20th century is masked by the glamour and parties. It displays a wondrous era full of wealth. Even though money is the key to this fantasy it is just that… a fantasy. The happiness and reality of life fails to complete on behalf of these rich people. Gatsby seems to have all the riches and fame, although these things cannot fulfil the happiness he desires of Daisy Buchanan.

As a society, America has created certain ideas and stereotypes of each class including the citizens within them. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses around the superficial communities of West and East Egg, and their misconceptions of one another. The citizens of East Egg, such as Daisy and Tom Buchanan, frown upon the up-and-coming men of West Egg. This includes Gatsby, who dreams of the riches they take for granted. Gatsby, who obtains his money through dishonest means appears villainous, unsuccessfully attempting to join the wealthy and elite society of East egg. However, there may be more to Gatsby's story. As Nick, the narrator, says he is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”(154). Through his descriptions and comparison of Tom’s house and Gatsby’s house, Fitzgerald reveals the true nature of the two men. While Gatsby appears to be morally corrupt, in the end he actually has pure intentions, instead it is Tom who emits negativity and is ungrateful for his life.

Gatsby dreams an intangible world and constantly strives to sculpt his life in which his actions are manifestations of his desire to be wealthy. Gatsby’s identity is superficial, and Nick sees through this façade.

The difference in the interactions Nick and Gatsby have with Tom Buchanan show the difference in their perspectives on wealth. Nick is a friend of Tom. He visits Tom and Daisy at their home, and Tom trusts him enough to invite him to the small, intimate, gathering with only his mistress and the McKees. Nick doesn’t like to spend time with Tom; he says as they drive through the city “Hold on… I have to leave you here” (28). He didn’t have any particular reason to go, but he simply could not stand being with Tom in that car for any longer. His reaction to the party in Tom’s apartment is similar. He “wanted to get out” (35), but something restrained him. He wants to leave, but he is “within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled” (35) but Tom’s party. Gatsby’s reaction however, is different. He doesn’t entertain Tom or even try to engage with him. Nick speaks briefly to Tom then looks over to Gatsby and he’s simply “no longer there” (74). Gatsby and Tom are superficially similar. They both

Gatsby realizes that life of the high-class demands wealth to become priority; wealth becomes his superficial goal overshadowing his quest for love. He establishes his necessity to acquire wealth, which allows him to be with Daisy. The social elite of Gatsby?s time sacrifice morality in order to attain wealth. Tom Buchanan, a man from an enormously wealthy family, ?seems to Nick to have lost all sense of being kind.?(Lehan, pg.60) Nick describes Tom?s physical attributes as a metaphor for his true character when remarking that Tom had a ?hard mouth and a supercilious manner?arrogant eyes has established dominance over his face?always leaning aggressively forward?a cruel body?his speaking voice?added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed? (Lehan, p.61)

New money was looked down upon by people who had old money and is shown through that description of these two places. The first person that Nick describes is Tom Buchanan, “Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward” (7).He also describes Gatsby a little while later when he is coming over to Nick’s because his long lost love (Daisy), who is Tom’s wife, is coming over for tea. “Gatsby, in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie, hurried in. He was pale, and there were dark signs of sleeplessness beneath his eyes” (84). Nick’s description of Tom automatically makes the reader feel like they don’t like him. He’s arrogant and by his description doesn’t seem very nice. This is the difference between the new rich and the old rich. Tom doesn’t show it off in clothing or material things but more in his attitude, he thinks he’s better than everyone and dominant. Gatsby, on the other hand, doesn’t have that kind of attitude. Rather he wears things to show off his wealth. He is wearing gold and silver to display that he is wealthy. The author uses imagery to help the reader understand the two worlds Nick is dealing with.

Owl Eyes mentions, “It’s a bona-fide piece of material. It fooled me. This fella’s a regular Belasco. It’s a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop too—didn’t cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?”(45-46). Gatsby merely has the library full of books to impress his past lover, Daisy Buchanan, in which shows the deeper meaning in the novel by showing that people during this time were judged solely on their appearance and what they owned. Nick observes, “On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’œuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold. In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up, and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten…”(40). Gatsby was known mainly for his extravagant parties, and how much attention he brought to himself, as well as his estate. Although you may be able to buy items and attract people you never have before, is money the real reason behind your

Throughout the book Gatsby continually throws outlandish parties where scores of people, whether invited or not, attend and revel in his hospitality; he later reveals his purpose in throwing these overly grandiose festivals, when Nick and he are talking after a party which Daisy has just attended. “'She didn't like it {Gatsby} said immediately...She didn't have a good time'” (Fitzgerald 116) fully expresses that his entire life at West Egg has been spent in pursuit of a woman who could never possibly fulfill his dream. The 1999 “Gatsby project” discussed the portrayal of wealth in The Great Gatsby by talking about Gatsby’s car as a symbol.

Nick Carraway followed his father advice in the begin to the end of the book “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone… just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 01); even when the photographer of the Journal come to ask him about his neighbor (Gatsby) he refused to speak because wasn’t his business, he was always around parties and rich people but his opinion never changed. Personally, even known that Jay Gatsby was rich and he was the person that everybody in that time wanted to be, he was empty and lonely inside, because the only thing that he wanted was Daisy and it was the only thing that he couldn’t have, that proves that money cannot buy everything. Nick also learns that Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity, as he was willing to do anything to gain the social position he thought necessary to win Daisy. Nick views Gatsby as a deeply flawed man, dishonest and vulgar, whose extraordinary optimism and power to transform his dreams into reality make him “great” nonetheless.

Nick Carraway is a man who is polite, an observer, and reserves all judgement to have infinite hope. He values honesty and what is morally correct yet wealthy charters show no sense of value, such as Tom Buchanan’s affair with Myrtle Wilson and Tom who sends George Wilson to kill Gatsby. Daisy Buchanan never took responsibility for Myrtle’s death which violates what is morally correct. The lower class would do anything for money, such as Myrtle Wilson when spending Tom’s money on a materialistic things. Gatsby as well chooses a materialistic life but since he was born into the lower class he will never be accepted into the wealthy social elite.

Fitzgerald very geniously associates Gatsby with great wealth, however he does a very good job of showing us that Gatsby’s money is not for the purpose he leads the public to believe; his wealth is a facade. While Nick and Jordan are conversing about why Gatsby lives where he does we find out a lot about Gatsby’s character, “‘ Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.”’ (83). This quote tells us the motivation behind all of the wealth and the lavish lifestyle. Gatsby doesn’t throw the enormous parties and put up with the rude people because he enjoys it, he wants to draw Daisy in!